GOLF

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 5 September 1925, Page 12

GOLF

September S —South Auckland Championships. September 2d —N.Z. Championships, Shirley, Christchurch. ' September 28—American Ladies’ Championships, St. Louis. October 15—N.Z.. Ladies’ Championship, Miramar, Wellington. The championships have reached an interesting stage and next week will see the finalists sorted out. Present indications are that, the Quins will fight, out the final of Hawera as well as E Ith am. The course has boen dry despite all the rain, and this is one compensation for a hilly course. Never has there been any trouble about playing, as regards the course itself. Some of the greens are perhaps a trial, but that must be, endured until conditions are fixed. . The Miramar course (Wellington), once considered impossible to> flood or to be affected by water, was a. week or two ago quite under water in some parts.. One part of the fairway was literally a sheet of water owing to a failure in the drainage from the adjacent hills. At present it is very wet, and a local rule has been found necessary allowing the player to tee up on the fairway wherever he wished. The continuous wet weather has had the effeet of putting back the programme of events for the season. This has happened in other places. Taranaki, despite its wet reputation, has not suffered to anything like the same • Writing of Pulley, formerly _of Patea, and now of Waiwetu (Wellington), the Post writer says: “Pulley, though h© is a left-hand .player, with a peculiar style that is somewhat of a distraction to his opponent, because it has a profusion of dilatory waggles, is one of the most promising of Waiwetu players, and Sloane (Bamii), who lately has been doing some excellent golf, did well to defeat him last week. Pulley’s long game is nothing spectacular, but' once on the green he is deadly; indeed, his opponent is likely to find that if Pulley gets there first the hole is his.’’ The South Auckland tournament will open on Tuesday next, and indications are that there, will be a great gathering of leading players present. Among them will be J. Goss and I. Saunders, of Wanganui. Thirty-six holes of stroke play will determine the 32 players who * are to take part in the South Auckland championships and the St. Andrews match. The first 16 to qualify go into the former and the second 16 into the latter competition. Both titles will be decided by 18 holes match play, with 36 holes in the final. The innovation of the St. Andrews match will be welcome, as it will provide interest for practically all players, instead of those, except the first 16, having to drop out after the first day.

SOME RULES

Two or .three daisies cropped up of a misconception of the rules, and .several points that should have been known to all golfers cauised some little consideration. Some of the most often needed rules are quoted below: General and' Through the Green. \ The ball farther from hole played first.—When the balds are an play, the ball farther from, the hole shall be played first. Through the green, or in a hazard, if a player play when: his opponent should have played, the opponent may at once recall the stroke. A ball so recalled shall be dropped as near as possible to the place where it lay, without penalty. Opponent's ibalLL moved by player s ball. —(2) If the player's ball move the opponent’s ball through the green, 01 in a hazard, the opponent, if lie '■ choose, may drop a ball, without penalty, as near as possible to the place where his ball lay, but this must bo done before another .stroke as played by either side. Removal of loose impediments.—(l) Amy loose impediment lying withui a dulb length of the ball .and not being in or .touching a hazard, may he removed without penalty; if the ball move after .any such loose impediment lxais been touched by the player, his partner, or either of their caddies, the player shall! be deemed to have caused the ball to move, and the penalty shall be one .stroke. (2) A loose impediment lying more than a club lengjth from the ball may not be moved . under penalty of the ■ loss of the hole, unless the loose impediment lie on the putting-green (jsee rule 28 (1). . Balls within a dub length of each other.—When the balls lie within a dub length of each other through the erreen or in a* ii£t^ctrcl 7 tJio l>Ua;l nearer to the hole ma.y, at the Option of either .the player or the opponent, be lifted until the other ball is played, „ and shall then be replaced as near as possible to. the place where it lay. Jt dither ball he incidentally moved in complying with this rule, no penalty shall he incurred, and the ball so moved, ■■shall be replaced. If the lie of the lifted toll be altered in playing the other ball, the lifted ball may he placed as near a® possible to the place where it- lay and in a lie similar to that briginally ■ occupied. Priority on the Course. Matches constituted of singles, threesomes, or foursomes _ shall have precedence of and be entitled to pass any other kind of match. A single player has no standing, anu shall always give way to a match ot any kind. , Any match playing a whole round shall lie entitled to pass a match playing a shorter round. If a match fail to keep its place on the green, and lose in distance more than one dear hole on the players in front, it may be passed, on request being made. How to Drop a Ball. A ball shall be dropped in the following manner *. The player himself shall drop it. He shall face the hole, stand erect, and drop the ball behind him . over his shoulder. The penalty for a breach of this rule shall he the loss of the hole. If, in the act of dropping, the hall touch the player, he shall incur no penalty, and, if it roll into a hazard, the player may redrop the hall without penalty. Ball not to be touched, except in addressing for identification. (1) A ball in play may not be touched before the hole is played out, except as provided for in the rules. The penalty for a breach of this rule shall he one stroke.

The player may, without penalty, touch his ball with his club, ip the act of addressing it, provided he docs not move the ball. A. ball in nlnv may, with the opponent’s consent, lie lifted for the purpose of identification, hut it must lie carefully replaced. Removal of Flag-stick.

(1) Either side is entitled to have the flag-stick removed when approaching the hole; if a player’s ball strike the flag-stick which has been so removed by himself, or his partner, or either of their caddies, his side shall lose the hole. If the ball rest against the flag-stick which is in the hole, the player shall lie entitled to remove the flag-stick, and, if the hall fall into the hole, the player shall lie deemed to have holed out at his last stroke. (2) If the player’s hall knock the opponent’s ball into the hole, the opponent shall lie deemed to have holed out at his last stroke.

If the player’s ball move the opponent’s ball the opponent, if he choose, may replace it, hut this must be done before another stroke is played by either side. If the player’s ball stop on . the spot formerly occupied by the opponent s hall, and the opponent declare his intention to replace his ball, the player Khali first play another stroke, after which the opponent shall replace and play his ball. (3) If the player has holed out and the opponent then plays to the lip of the hole, the player may not knock the hall away, but the opponent, if asked, shall play his next stroke without delay. . If the opponent’s ball he on the lip of the hole, the player, after holing out, may knock the ball awav, claimi n<r the hole if holing at the like, and the half if holing at the odd, provided that the player’s hall does not _ strike the opponent’s hall and set it in motion; if the player neglect to knock away the opponent’s hall, and it fall into" the hole, the opponent shall he deemed to have holed out at his last sti’oke.

Play within 20 yards of hole.—Ball striking flag-stick, etc. (1) When a competitor’s ball lying within 20 yards of the hole is played and strikes, or is stopped by, the flag-stick or the person standing at the hole, the penalty shall he two strokes. If a oomipetitor lift his ball from putting green, before 1 idling out he shall, before striking off from next tee, or in case of the laisit hole before he has l left the putting green, be permitted to replace under penalty of two strokes.

Putting Green. Balls within isix inches, lilted. —(1) When the balls lie within six inches of ealah cither on the putting-green (the distance to be measured from their nearest, points), the ball lying nearer to the hole may, at the option of either the player or the opponent, be lifted until the other ball is played, and the lifted ball shall then ibe replaced as near .as possible to the place where it lay. If either bail be accidentally moved in complying with this rule, no penalty shall be .incurred, and the ball so moved shall be replaced. Match Play.

Special rules for match play competitions.—(l) On the putting-green, if tlie competitor whose ball is the nearer to the hole play first, his hall shall be at once replaced. Tlie penalty for a breach of this rule shall be the disqualification of both competitors. Stroke Play. In stroke play, ball striking felloAVcompetitor’is ball.—(2) When both balls are out tlie putting-green, if a competitor’s ball strike the ball of the player with Avkoim he is competing, the competitor shall incur a penalty of one stroke, and the ball which AV,ais struck shall be ait once replaced. See stroke rule 10 (1). Nearer ball, may be lifted.—(3) The competitor whose ball as the farther from/ the hole may have the ball which is nearer to the halo lifted or played at the option of its owner. If the latter refuse to comply with this rule when requested to do so, he shall be disqualified.

A breach of etiquette sometimes unconsciously committed. —(2) Tlie 1 .Layer who has the honour should ho allowed to play before 'lidig opponent tees his ball.